Wheel



(No Model.) 1 S. H. KIMBALL.

WHEEL.

Patented Nov. 29

. with rubber tires and UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN H. KIMBALL, OF'EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS.

' WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,017,

dated November 29, 1892.

Application filed January 26. 1892. Serial it... 419,191. (No model.)

and in which the spokes can be readily tightened to affordfirm support for the rim.

' 'Thefinvention consists in the improved 15' which I will .now proceed to describe. t the accompanying drawings,

' part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side view of a wheel embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents-a sectional view of .-a portion of the wheel one. larger, scale than that shown in Fig. 1.' Fig. 3 represents asectional view showing the form of the rim when the latter is constructed of wood. Figs. 4, 5,

g and 6 are views showing the manner of maka thread atone end and .Upon each end of said'sleeve is screwed a ing. the tire. 1

I The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in. all the figures. The hub portion of my improved wheel is composed of a tubular sleeve, .9, having its ends externally scre -threaded, with a right a left thread at the other.

collar t, adapted toreceive' the inner ends of thespokes of the wheel. Each collar is made in two parts, as shown in Fig. '2. The. two parts of each collart are securelybolted or riveted together, and areprovided with sockets to receive the ends of the spokes a. Each alternate spoke is socketed in the left or right collar, respectively, this class. The ends of the spokes are received between the collar, ,one part forming one side of the socket, while the other part forms the other side. The bolts t t, connecting the two parts of each gpllar, are located between the points where the spokes enter the collar. The parts of the'collar are preferably of metal, and are made so as tohave solid portions at the points where the sockets for the spokes are made and to have hollowed-out portions intermediate thereof, as will be readily aadegstood whereby the sleeve may forming.

as is usual in wheels of two parts forming each from Fig. .2. This construction not only lightens the structure, but gives it-a suitable spring, whereby when the two parts of the collars are riveted or bolted togetherat points intermediate of the spokes, as described, they will be enabled to hold the ends of the spokes firmly in their sockets.

The central or. unthreaded portion of the sleeve 8 may be made square, hexagonal, or of other suitable form to be engaged by a Wrench,

or it may be provided with holes adapted to receive the projecting fingers of a spanner, be turned. Theleft and right threads on the ends of said sleeve enable the same to draw the two collars it together when the sleeve is turned and the wheel held, thus tightening up the wheel and rend ring it properly rigid.

The rim '0 of the wheel is made in a single piece and of rigid construction. It may be of metal or wood, the .rim being formed as shown in Fig. 2 when made of metal and asshown in-Fig. 3 when made of wood. In either case, the piece of metal or wood forming .the rim is suitably united at its ends to form a ring which is practically rigid and incapable of being expanded or contracted. The other surface of the rim is grooved to receive a rubber tire to. When the rim is made of metal,

the outer ends of the spokes are preferably 'attached'to the rim by means of screws 0, ex-

tending from the outer surface of the rim through the latter into the'ends of the spokes,

as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,the spokes being provided with ferrules j to prevent split ting. When the rim is made of wood, it is preferably provided with sockets to receive the tenoned ends u of the spokes, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

It 'will be seen that by making the rim of the wheel in one piece, adapted to hold a rubber tire, and free from liability to become inoperative by contractingor eizpanding, I simplify and cheapen the construction of the wheel as compared with wheels in which the rim is made in a series of sections or fellies, a sectional rim requiring to be held by an encircling tire or band of rigid material, which is not required in this case, the continuous rim answering the purpose of tional rim and the encircling tire.

both the sec-- IOO - I am aware that it is not new to make a wheel-rim in a single piece of metal formed, with a grooved outer surface to receive a rubber tire; butI am the first,so far asl am aware, to combine in a, wheel a rim madeina single piece and adapted'to hold a rubber tire, with a hub having independentlyvmovable spokereceiving co.-ars and twoseries of spokescorn. necting said collars with the rim, the spokes being arranged to exert an outward thrust against the rim by a movement of the said collarsinwardly or toward each other.

The rubber tire to is preferably formed in the following manner: I take a length of rubber tubing longerthan the length required 'for the tire and insert in said tube a wire rod 2, Fig. 4, of such length that when its .ends are united it will form a ring or band of such diameter that it can be passed over either flange or raised side of the groove in the-rim. The ends of the rubber tube are crowded back from the ends of the rod, Fig. 5, and the ends of the rod. are united in anysuitable waysuch as by welding or riveting-to form a con-' tinuous hoop, Fig. 6,. the tube being compressed longitudinally by the operation of forcing back itsends. When the ends of the rod have been united to form a hoop or ring, the tube is allowed to expand until its ends meet; but in consequence of the excess jn length of the tube it remains in a s aiebf compression, so that its thickness and elasticit y are materially increased: This increase in the thickness and elasticity of the tube. enables it to engage itself more securely with the grooved rim than would be the case if the tube had not been longitudinally compressed. The tube is forced laterally onto the rim of the wheel, the material of the tube inside the hoop yielding while passing over -the edge of the rim and then expanding into the groove of t e rim. Another advantage resulting t'rom this improved tire is that the rubber, being in a state of compression, has no tendency to open or tear when a hole is cut in its surface.

Ordinary tires are in an extended or stretched condition when on the wheel. Hence there is a tendency to enlarge any opning or hole .the tuhonmayhe cemented to make the interior air-tight.

It will be seen that the arrangement of the spokes in two series, eachspoke being arranged diagonally to the planeof the rim of thewheel, utilizes the longitudinal flexibility riding over rough surfaces, each spoke being in position to spring to some extent underthe longitudinal compressive strain exerted upon it. Hence the ends of the spokes are not-battered by contact with their sockets, as they.

Theimproved wheel hereinbefore described,

the same consisting of the grooved rim made in one piece, the rubber tire inserted in the groove of said rim,the hub portion composed ofthe tubular sleeve and the spoke-recoming collars independently adjustable on said sleeve, the said collars having spoke-receiving sockets with solidbottoms, and the spokes ar- 'itangedd-mtwo-series with. theine'ndsabutting against thebottom's of said sockets and against the rim, whereby they are adapted to exert an outward thrust upon the rim by an inward movement of said collars, asset forth.

- In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence ot- 4 of the spokes in relieving the jar caused by two subscribing witnesses,this 16th day of:

January, A. D. 1892.

STEPHEN H. KIMBALL.

Witnesses:

C. F. BR WN, Y A. D. HARRISON. 

